cardiac mapping and radiofrequency ablation procedure
ProcedureIt is a minimally invasive procedure which can be performed using either general or conscious sedation. During catheter ablation, catheters (narrow, flexible tubes) are inserted into a blood vessel, often through a site in the groin (upper thigh) or neck, and guided through the vein until they reach the heart. Small electrodes on the tip of the catheters stimulate and record the heart's activity. This test, called an electrophysiology study (EPS), allows the doctor to pinpoint the exact location of the short circuit. Another word for pinpointing the exact location of the short circuit is 'mapping', for which precision is a key requirement to maximize a successful outcome.
Once the location is confirmed, the short circuit is either destroyed (to reopen the electrical pathway) or blocked (to prevent it from sending faulty signals to the rest of the heart).